Douglas Freeman
Douglas James Rohdam Freeman (July 18th, 1922 - August 31st, 1997) was a Sierran political activist and revolutionary who became a prominant advocate for Continentalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Born in the Kingdom of Sierra, Douglas Freeman was born during the Sierran Cultural Revolution and was caught up in the revolutionary fever. Initially a supporter for a republic, he became an ardent continentalist in 1945 and attended the 7th Continental Congress in 1954 where he became popular among the left-wing bloc of the congress. He soon became the leader of his own political faction in the congress, the Revolutionary Continentalist Front, and became a legitimate political party in the congress and one that became the leading opposition party. In 1966, he was elected Secretary General of the World Continental Congress after he won the 1966 Congressional Election in a landslide. Under his leadership, the congress made an effort to reach out internationally and gain support from foriegn countries believing that international pressure would result in the restoration of the former United States. He remained Secretary General until 1972 when he resigned after the Centrist Coalition won the committee elections that year and feared being removed in a vote of no confidence. He eventually became the first General Secretary of the International Continentalist Association and became a leading opponent of the WCC denouncing it as a "puppet of Anglo-American capitalist elites" and resulted in the infamous Separatist Crisis, an dark point in the history of continentalism. He lead the ICA fron 1972 until his resignation in 1988 due to health issues after having survived a stroke. He later retired and moved to a private estate in Vinland, an autonomous overseas territory of Westland, where he lived their for the rest of his life. He would make speeches and attend continentalist gatherings until his death in 1997 due to heart failure. After his death, he was given a state funeral by the Vinlandic government and buried in the Vinland National Cemetary. In the years following his death, Freeman's legacy has been the source of controversy and contention as many praise him for pushing the continentalist message worldwide, gaining support for the cause, and advocating racial justice and equality around the world. Critics often cite his willingness to oppose the WCC a week after he left it and cited his radical speeches and rhetoric which lead to many acts of violence during the Separatist Crisis such as the Remembrance Day bombings. Early life and career Douglas Freeman was born on July 18th, 1922 in the city of Salsipuedes, Kingdom of Sierra to a poor working class family. He was the son of Jonathan Michael Freeman (1886-1951) and Verna Freeman (1890-1978). He was also the younger brother of Carolyn Freeman (1918-2008) and Walter Freeman (1914-1998) and the older brother of Clayton Freeman (1932-2017). He was forced to work in his family's car repair shop when he was twelve and would study politics by the age of 16. When he was studying politics, he found himself supporting the cause of republicanism and viewed the monarchy as a corrupt and innept institution holding back the working class. He eventually joined the Democratic-Republican Party of Sierra when he turned 18 as his family were members of the party and he eventually became a member of a republican sect of the party. He would promote republicanism and continued to support anti-monarchist groups and marches in his youth. This caused him to become an outcast among the party, but he persisted nonetheless. When he was 19, he came across a book titled New American Thought, a book by Hubert A. Whitehall which discussed the American Revolution, its ideals, and argued in favor of restoring the former United States. He read more continentalist literature and eventually became a continentalist when he turned 23. Continentalist revolutionary Secretary General Internatioanl revolution Trip to Westland Forming the ICA Separatist Crisis Later career Later life and death Legacy and commemoration Personal life and views Relationship with his family Ideology and politics Religious views See also *Hall of Revolutionary Heroes *Separatist Crisis **Remembrance Day bombings **Continentalist Revolutionary Army *Revolutionary Bloc *World Liberation Thesis Category:Continentalism Category:Sierrans Category:Westlandic People's Republic